Functional impairment of reading in patients with dry eye

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the impact of dry eye on reading performance. METHODS: Out-loud and silent reading in patients with clinically significant dry eye (n=41) and controls (n=50) was evaluated using standardised texts. Dry eye measures included tear film break-up time, Schirmer's test and corneal epithelial staining. Symptoms were assessed by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). RESULTS: The dry eye group had a greater proportion of women as compared with the control group but did not differ in age, race, education level or visual acuity (p≥0.05 for all). Out-loud reading speed averaged 148 words per minute (wpm) in dry eye subjects and 163 wpm in controls (p=0.006). Prolonged silent reading speed averaged 199 wpm in dry eye subjects versus 226 wpm in controls (p=0.03). In multivariable regression models, out-loud and sustained silent reading speeds were 10 wpm (95% CI −20 to −1 wpm, p=0.039) and 14% (95% CI −25% to −2%, p=0.032) slower, respectively, in dry eye subjects as compared with controls. Greater corneal staining was associated with slower out-loud (−2 wpm/1 unit increase in staining score, 95% CI =−3 to −0.3 wpm) and silent (−2%, 95% CI −4 to −0.6 wpm) reading speeds (p<0.02 for both). Significant interactions were found between OSDI score and word-specific features (longer and less commonly used words) on out-loud reading speed (p<0.05 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Dry eye is associated with slower out-loud and silent reading speeds, providing direct evidence regarding the functional impact of dry eye. Reading speed represents a measurable clinical finding that correlates directly with dry eye severity

Erratum

Utine CA. Update and critical appraisal of the use of topical azithromycin ophthalmic 1% (AzaSite&amp;reg;) solution in the treatment of ocular infections. Clin Ophthalmol. 2011;5:801-809.Table 2 inaccurately states that Bremond-Grignac used AzaSite&amp;reg; in their study. The ophthalmic preparation used was in fact Azyter&amp;reg;. Original Articl

Update and critical appraisal of the use of topical azithromycin ophthalmic 1% (AzaSite&amp;reg;) solution in the treatment of ocular infections

Canan Asli UtineYeditepe University, Department of Ophthalmology, Istanbul, Turkey and Ocular Surface Disease and Dry Eye Clinic, Cornea and External Disease Service, The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAAbstract: Azithromycin is an azalide that acts by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit of susceptible microorganisms and interfering with microbial protein synthesis. Azithromycin is also noted by anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity. AzaSite&amp;reg; (Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Durham, NC) is azithromycin ophthalmic solution, 1% formulated in polycarbophil (the aqueous mucoadhesive polymer contained in DuraSite&amp;reg;) that delivers high and prolonged azithromycin concentrations in a variety of ocular tissues, including the conjunctiva, cornea and particularly the eyelid. AzaSite was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US in 2007, for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis caused by susceptible isolates. This article aims to evaluate the peer-reviewed published scientific literature and to define well-established uses of AzaSite eye drops in the field of ocular infections.Keywords: azithromycin, AzaSite, DuraSit